Does anyone remember “Cal Worthington and his dog Spot?” Each ad featured Mr. Worthington in a white cowboy hat walking through his car dealership with a different animal that was very definitely not a dog. I remember ones where he was riding a cow, carrying a parrot, I think one with a cheetah or a tiger or some other kind of big cat.

Long before digital anything, color TV or computer graphics perhaps one of the most iconic TV ad campaigns of all time burst forth in the 1950’s on small screen black and white VHF sets all over the 5 boroughs of New York City. At least 3 of the 7 then available TV networks showed them . I speak of course of Burt and Harry Piels. Simple Black and white line drawing animation for Piels Beer written by and voice over by Bob and Ray, stars of radio comedy famous for their deadpan, quirky and totally hilarious skits. “Urban Legend” is a just title for this pair and part of NY folklore.

Piels was a local NY beer brewed in Staten Island with nothing to recommend it and a small market share. With the introduction of Burt and Harry circa 1952, sales took off. The brewery eventually folded and is unremembered, but Burt and Harry went into the record books. Just do a internet search to see grainy B&W reruns. They even have a listing in Wikipedia.

The ones that immediately came to mind are Dodd’s Furniture and Mattress ads with Gordy Dodd (catchphrase “I won’t be undersold”). He dressed up like various movie characters and often involved his staff as well. https://youtu.be/YsQigUz6uq4

Everyone who grew up in the Augusta, Georgia area in the 80s is forever haunted by the Master Fabricators jingle with the monkey riding in one of those quarter machine cars. “You’ll always get the shaft – the drive shaft – at Master Fabricators!”

New Orleans has a million of these. The first that comes to mind is the Rosenberg’s girl. Say “Rosenberg’s” to anyone in New Orleans over 40 and they will immediately shout “1825 Tulane.” Unfortunately, as we say in New Orleans it “ain’t dere no more.”

Another great furniture was the Universal Chairman.

And possibly the best was the Frankie and Johnny’s “special man.”
“Let her have it.” “With no problems.”

I lived n Stockholm in the late 1960s and there was a billboard inside the subway train car. It featured a girl, bare to the waist (not an issue in Sweden), with a huge bruise from her shoulder to her waist. The caption read…“I was wearing my seatbelt and I am alive.”

Distinguished Flying Cross
Calvin Coolidge Worthington (November 27, 1920 – September 8, 2013) was an American car dealer, best known on the West Coast of the United States, and to a more limited extent elsewhere, from minor appearances and parodies in a number of movies. He was best known for his unique radio and television advertisements for the Worthington Dealership Group, most of which began with the announcement "Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!"—though "Spot" was never a dog. Oft...

Barry R Glazer Law Office is Baltimore legend! He should be an elected official!!
Scott Donahoo of Foreign Motors is gone (I guess…who really knows…but his spots were simply obnoxious and over the top, too) He is/was almost as good at Barry Glazer!